


never too late

by apprepuff



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Lee Overthinks Everything™, M/M, angst!!! and a lot of it!!!, doug and kenny are mentioned, i also submitted this as an english project, no happy ending, so yeah my teacher has to read this shit too lmao, this was bulk edited btw so now its a lot better, this was supposed to have a happy ending so blame my best friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2020-05-13 18:04:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19256371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apprepuff/pseuds/apprepuff
Summary: Mark and Lee go hunting together. Mark lets some secrets slip under a tree.





	never too late

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [up with the birds](https://archiveofourown.org/works/590545) by [bravest](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bravest/pseuds/bravest). 



> thanks adrian

The crunching of fall leaves under boots was a satisfying sound to hear as Lee trekked calmly through the trees, humming to himself as he took mental notes on his surroundings. He was on a hunting run yet again, as food was scarce, and he had been statistically proven to be the best hunter in his survivor group.

 

Lee and three of his close friends had been paired up by Lilly before they left for their trip — Kenny and Doug were working together on one side of the forest, which left Lee alone with his friend Mark.

 

Mark wasn’t a very skilled or experienced hunter, or even a necessarily good shot, which was surprising, considering his history with the military. Hell, he wasn’t even all that good at moving silently without tripping or stepping on something. But he was trying his best, and had optimism to boot, and that was probably why he managed to catch anything at all.

 

If he was honest, Lee didn’t mind that Mark wasn’t the most... _useful_ hunting partner. At least whenever he did catch something, it was usually above average, like a large rabbit or stocky bird. And it’s not like he could be blamed for his bad aim. He was the only member of the group with vision badly enough impaired that he needed glasses, and they were cracked. It certainly wasn’t a catch-all excuse for missing half of his shots, but it was a big contributor, according to the man himself.

 

Besides, what he lacked in hunting skills he made up for by just being a generally fun person to be around. Cracking jokes, spilling dirt, talking about what the future might hold... he just had an aura, it seemed. An aura that made you like him, even without knowing him for long. And by God, did it work on Lee.

 

Mark inspected a bear trap they had planted, which had captured what looked like a jackrabbit. The thing was huge, but clearly scared, and only struggled more when it spotted the human standing above it. It seemed like it hadn’t been stuck here long, as the blood seeping from its leg onto the teeth of the trap was still fresh.

 

“Poor guy looks so scared..” Mark mumbled. He never did like to kill animals, whether for food or not. Lee, meanwhile, had gotten used to it over the few months after the end of the world. He shrugged, tilting his head a bit.

 

“Well, that poor guy is also somebody’s dinner tonight. Katjaa hasn’t eaten in like eight days, and Kenny will flip his lid if she goes another night without eating.”

 

Their medic, Katjaa, had confessed to her husband the night before that for a while now, she had been handing off her rations to other members who hadn’t eaten — Lee had been one of them.

 

He still remembered how she had woken him up in the middle of the night and given him her can of soup. At first, he attempted to give it back to her, but she insisted that she didn’t need it. She followed that up with the fact that she knew that Lee was getting weaker because of how shaky he was, and how a previously easy-to-lift duffel bag had been a challenge for him to pick up that morning.

 

Since Kat had refused to give in, Lee had taken the can, thanking her sincerely. That woman was a blessing to the group, he could see why Kenny adored her.

 

Mark sighed, kneeling down to inspect the bear trap. They had found it at an air force base a while away, alongside a few more just like it and Mark himself, locked in a closet with about a dozen walkers attempting to break down the door. The bear traps had come in extraordinarily useful when hunting, but they had noticed lately that a few of them had been going missing from where they left them.

 

The news of the missing traps had pissed off both Kenny and Lilly, as they didn’t have many, and the traps had supplied food time and time again. To the entire group’s surprise, but especially to that of Lilly’s father, the two rivals had actually ended up cooperating for once to make a plan on how they would make the thief pay. They had even high-fived after they had figured it all out! Mark and Lee joked about that to each other often, saying that they should start hiding things to get Kenny and Lilly to get along more often.

 

“That _has_ to hurt,” Mark commented, gesturing to the trap holding the rabbit in place. Their catch had begun to slow down its struggle — whether that was due to blood loss or overexertion, Lee was unsure. “Can you imagine going about your day as normal, and then suddenly having one of these things snap shut on your leg?”

 

“Thankfully, that will never happen, since we’re smart enough to know what a release latch is,” Lee chuckled. Despite his words, he shuddered at the thought of getting stuck in a trap like their prey. “Let’s just get the bunny in the bag and keep moving.”

 

Mark stroked the rabbit’s head softly, before taking a firm hold of it. He winced, turned his head away slightly, and quickly twisted the rabbit’s head to the side, hearing a _crack_ as its neck snapped. The animal went limp, and the man opened the trap before shrugging his hunting bag off of his shoulders and dropping his kill inside.

 

As Mark stood up with his bag and took a step back, Lee made quick work of resetting the trap, hoping that they would catch another rabbit with it, and not a walker. That had been happening more and more lately, which was beyond annoying, especially since they had to clean the trap of lurker blood before placing it back.

 

“You’ve gotten good at that,” Mark praised, in a surprisingly heartfelt tone. “Resetting the traps, I mean. You do it faster than anyone else. It’s.. kind of amazing.”

 

“Thanks,” Lee hummed, smiling warmly up at his friend. He looked to the side for a moment, then spoke again. “I’m surprised that I’m the best at it. I would’ve thought that Kenny would be faster, given that he told me he used to hunt before the world went to shit.”

 

“Probably not with military-grade bear traps, though,” the younger man joked.

 

Lee felt a little stupid now for not thinking of that before, but laughed. “Come to think of it, yeah, it makes way more sense now.”

 

Lee stood up and carefully stepped around the trap he had just reset, keeping his eyes on it. He looked up at Mark, and noticed his partner looking at the trap, too. Specifically, at the rabbit blood staining the rusted teeth. He looked.. upset, to say the least.

 

“Mark, I know you don’t like killing, and especially not animals, but it’s the most reliable way to get food,” Lee reminded his friend. “We don’t have the supplies or the knowledge to make a garden, so for now, this is the best we’ve got.”

 

Mark nodded, letting out a breath that Lee didn’t even notice that he was holding. “I know, I know. And food’s really important these days. We’re running low, the kids need to eat, all that jazz. I just used to love rabbits as a kid, so I feel bad about killing them, you know? I used to have one as a pet. His name was Beanbag, he was a black and white spotted thing. Dumb as a box of rocks, but I loved that little fool like my own child.”

 

Lee put a hand on his friend’s shoulder with a small smile. “I know the feeling.. kinda. My brother used to have a cat named Skor. I think he wanted to call him Scorch, but he was a kid when we got the little guy, so he spelled it differently. I hated the cat at first, the thing always used to step on my face when I was trying to sleep, and he would scratch at my door and wail if I closed it.”

 

Mark chuckled, and Lee smiled as he continued his story.

 

“I didn’t know how much I loved the stupid cat until he broke his leg jumping off of something and needed treatment. We were in a cash dip at the time, and Buck was so scared that his cat was gonna die, cuz that little dumbass had really fucked up his leg. But, lo and behold, I had some cash saved up, and the look on Buck’s face...”

 

Lee shut his eyes for a moment, trying his hardest to push back the returning memory of having to put down his walker brother. And for what? Larry? He traumatized himself to help the old man, and what did he get in return? A punch to the face and daily headaches. Fuck him.

 

Lee quickly got his train of thought back on its tracks. He could brood later.

 

“Man, that look. I’d pay ten years off my life to see it again. The kitty got his treatment, lived happily with us until he was nineteen years old, before he died in his sleep in Buck’s arms. I realized after I paid for him that he bugged me so much because he loved me. I really miss that little bastard sometimes...”

 

Lee’s voice trailed off as he noticed that Mark was staring at him in a soft way, a tiny smile on his face. Something in his eyes showed a new emotion that the taller man hadn’t seen before in his friend.

 

After a few seconds, Mark smiled wider. “You sound like you loved Skor. I bet Buck appreciated you covering the vet bill.”

 

“Oh, he did,” Lee chuckled. “He hugged me tight and wouldn’t let go. Ma had to pull him off of me before I suffocated. It was kind of embarrassing, considering that the entire front area saw it, but I’d kill a man to hug my brother again.”

 

Mark laughed under his breath, then turned to look back at the grass. Lee noticed his expression change.

 

It was subtle, and still a smile, but it had a different undertone. Instead of a cheerful look, it was more... sad. Wistful, even. Like Lee’s story had reminded him of a coming disaster, but at least he had accepted that it was going to happen, and he was enjoying his life in the moment.

 

Lee was surprised, and even a little scared — he had never seen that expression on Mark before.

 

_This wasn’t like him._

 

“Uh.. Mark..?” he whispered.

 

Mark closed his eyes for a moment, then continued to walk ahead without saying anything. Lee raised an eyebrow.

 

His friend was acting off, and this wasn’t the first time he had done something like this today. Nonetheless, he followed the younger man and kept a keen eye on his surroundings.

 

* * *

 

“I like hunting with you.”

 

Lee turned to face his friend. That was sudden, but he smiled. “I like hunting with you, too. What brought this up?”

 

“Nothing. I was just thinking.. I mostly have the wall shift nowadays, thanks to Lilly. She wants to keep her dad in her sight in case his heart gives out, and she knows I’m one of the only people who can bear to work with Larry without going off on him.”

 

Mark turned to look behind him, huffing. “She _always_ has me stationed at the wall, working with the guy who never has anything nice to say, and frankly... I hate it. I like this way better. Time alone with someone who actually treats me like a person.”

 

Lee smiled, holding his rifle in one hand and draping his free arm around Mark’s shoulders, pulling the shorter man closer to him in a half-hug. He flinched, but melted into the touch, appreciating the gesture. Lee always knew just what he needed.

 

“I like this too. It’s nice to get away from camp for a while. Get some fresh air, not feel so.. crowded in with everyone. Believe me, I’d much rather be in a group than alone, especially with how much safer a group is for Clementine, but it’s nice to have a little breathing room.”

 

His friend nodded, chuckling. “Amen to that.”

 

Lee thought for a moment before speaking again. “And, well, you know... I’ll never turn down an opportunity to spend time with you.”

 

Mark’s eyes widened for a moment. Then he laughed, flushing a bit pink. “Awwe, stop it, you,” he chuckled. He rested his head on Lee’s shoulder, sighing.

 

The feeling of both the unfamiliar closeness and Mark’s warm breath on his neck made Lee’s breath noticeably hitch. He quickly steadied himself, hoping that his friend hadn’t noticed.

 

_“What the hell kind of reaction was that..?»_

 

Mark seemed to rest a little more of his weight against his friend, seemingly tired. Lee was a little concerned, but said nothing. Mark was energetic, that was true, but the bullshit back at home base was probably exhausting him.

 

Lee himself was usually out hunting during the daylight hours. Mostly with Kenny, since the two were by far the most bountiful hunters in the group — along with being best friends, of course. Now that Lee thought about it, that was probably why Lilly had paired each one off with someone else this morning. One experienced hunter paired with another with less knowledge in the field would almost guarantee that each pair would bring back food, and that the two of lesser skill would learn something from their partner, therefore improving future catch rates. Lee mentally praised Lilly for thinking so thoroughly about a simple hunting mission.

 

But whenever Lee stayed back at the motel for the day — whether to take inventory, help Lilly with errands, tend to his precious Clementine, or anything else — he could see how both of the Cauls would make life harder for Mark.

 

Larry was constantly shouting at and insulting him over nothing, almost seeming like he wanted a fight, but Mark was always unwilling to start it. On occasion, the younger man had to take his break early, because he was just that tired of dealing with him. Lilly told her father time and time again to at least try to get along with his work partner, but Larry was clearly having none of it.

 

Lilly wasn’t the best either, but at least she actually treated Mark with respect — asked if he was okay, offered him extra break time, told Larry to lay off, and offered him comfort whenever he was clearly near his breaking point. She was actually nicer to Mark than she was to most people. But she rarely offered him any other job than the wall, therefore exposing him to more bullying from Larry and more stress in the aftermath.

 

The biggest incident lately had happened early in the morning hours, when walkers had been crowding at the fence again. Mark had tried to use his trusty knife to pick a few off, since there were actually enough of them that they were starting to dislodge part of the barricade. Unfortunately, he had been grabbed by the arm, and almost pulled right over the fence.

 

After a few friends had saved him, he got yelled at pretty heavily by Larry for “not being careful” and told that he “could have killed us all”. Thankfully, Lilly had shut the man up quickly, but Mark was still clearly upset, both from his near death experience and having someone raise their voice at him.

 

Lee had fiercely stood up for him against the resident hellspawn, and Clementine had comforted him and drawn him a picture while Katjaa checked him for injuries, to which the man was grateful. A few hours after that, Lilly had sent them, along with Kenny and Doug, out on this very hunting trip.

 

Lee sighed. Mark had seemed so shaken since that morning. Being so close to the walkers, seeing their cold, lifeless eyes up close, staring death straight in the face like that... he didn’t want to know what that felt like.

 

He realized that he hadn’t spoken for a while, so he cleared his throat, drawing Mark’s attention.

 

“If you want, I could talk to Lilly about getting you out of camp more often, or at least switching you or Larry with someone else on the wall shift,” Lee proposed. “She likes me.. well, kinda.. so she might listen. It’s just... not good to keep someone in the same place all day every day, especially when they want to get out and about, and especially when their work partner is an actual demon.”

 

Mark smiled gratefully, laughing. “Yeah. Larry’s not easy to work with, that’s for sure. I like you a lot more. And about that “being stuck in one place” thing.. is that why you took Clementine on that supply run with you and Kenny last week?”

 

Lee rolled his eyes and smiled. The girl had practically begged to come along, just for the sake of getting the hell out of the motel for once. The man had tried his best to say no, that it would be dangerous, that there would be a lot of walkers, but had ultimately been unable to resist her puppy eyes. So he told her to go grab a backpack. Her eyes had lit up, and she hugged him tightly before running off to get ready for her first real expedition into the ruins of Macon.

 

She had come back just as excited as she had left, with not a scratch on her, and a heavy backpack.

 

The girl had somehow managed to find a full case of water bottles in a small hole in the wall behind a tipped-over shelf. The entire group’s eyes had lit up when the scavengers returned, and Lilly had even rustled Clem’s hat for the first time, pride sparkling in her eyes. Since then, Clem had asked every day when the next raid was going to be so she could help out again. Lee simply told her that it would be soon.

 

“Yeah, that’s why. I’m surprised that Duck wasn’t right behind her, begging to come scavenge with us. He’s got a lot more energy than her. Not sure if Kenny would have let him, though. He’s not wrong about Macon being a walker-infested death trap, but I think he over-exaggerates it a bit.”

 

Mark hummed in response. “I feel bad for Duck. Poor kid’s probably explored every little corner of the motel. There isn’t even much to see, anyway. Dingy rooms and trash, mostly. Maybe a thing or two left behind by the people staying here that either hit the road when the apocalypse dropped or died trying.”

 

Mark sounded more frustrated the more he talked. “Lilly seriously needs to ease up on not letting anyone stray far, they’re like mice in a cage. The motel feels smaller every day, and that’s not good for any of us. Not to mention that it’s gonna run its course eventually, the walkers are gonna start picking up on the fact that we stay in the same place all the time. I’m really digging Kenny’s RV idea lately.”

  
Lee chuckled, despite his friend’s tone. “Me too. Wonder if he’d let us join him, if he has the space. I’ve got a bad feeling about that motel lately. Like something really bad’s gonna happen, and soon. Things have been generally peaceful for too long for the end of the world. I don’t trust it, not one bit.”

 

Mark sighed, seeming even more tired than he was earlier. “Let’s just put it aside for now, I guess. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

 

The shorter man turned to look at a large tree, then pointed at it. “We should rest for a while, I’m dying to put my bag down. Over here.”

 

Lee followed him, and the two sat down against the tree, placing their bags and rifles by their sides and letting their muscles rest.

 

Lee took a long breath in and sighed. He barely noticed when he needed to take a break anymore, because he had been forced to keep going so many times that he was just used to the strain of carrying his heavy hunting equipment for hours. Mark, meanwhile, was a lot less durable than him — sure, he lifted heavy things to fortify the wall, but he didn’t carry them for hours. Lee felt bad for him. That had to put some serious strain on his muscles.

 

The taller man looked over to his friend again — something was off, definitely. Mark had his rifle in his lap and his bag by his side. His head was leaned back against the tree, his arms limp and his breathing heavy, but slow. Like he hadn’t slept in days.

 

His eyes were shut, which wouldn’t be odd on its own, but coupled with his abnormal drowsiness, it was, needless to say, very concerning. He almost looked half-asleep, and he definitely looked paler than he was earlier.

 

“Mark...?”

 

The man snapped awake, blinking a few times. “Sorry, sorry... tired...” he mumbled. “Jesus, I just...”

 

“Don’t say sorry. You’re exhausted, and probably sick. You probably shouldn’t have even gone out today. Take a nap when we get back, alright? If either Lilly or Larry try to get on your case, they can deal with me.”

 

“No, Lee, I.. I do have to say sorry,” Mark rambled, seemingly distressed. “There are so many things to be sorry for, especially now.”

 

Now Lee was confused. “You’re exhausted, man, you’re making no sense. What do you have to apologize for?”

 

Mark sighed and looked down at his lap, rubbing his collarbone under his shirt for a moment as if he was in pain, and then pressing his knuckles into his forehead in frustration, seemingly trying to think of a way to phrase what he needed to say.

 

Lee noticed that his fingertips were smeared with red.

 

Something clicked.

 

“Mark, that better be rabbit’s blood.”

 

The man shook his head slowly, before slipping off his jacket and pulling away the collar of his t-shirt.

 

Several bleeding bite marks resided on his collarbone and shoulder. They had clearly been there for a while, as they had discoloured bruising around them.

 

Walker bites.

 

“They got me, and I lied about it because I didn’t want you to worry. I wanted us to have a good time together without you having it in the back of your mind. I’m sorry.”

 

Time seemed to slow down for Lee. Everything turned grey except for the bloody wounds on his friend’s body, which stuck out like a sore thumb. His mind raced, and his heart dropped into his stomach as he tried not to fall apart. Why so soon? Why now? Why _him?_

 

“I...” Lee stammered. He took a breath in and unscrambled his thoughts as best as he could. “I’m not going home without you. You should at least be somewhere comfortable.”

 

“This is where I’m comfortable. Not crowded in with everyone, not worried about being demanded to do something by Lilly, or just shot in the head seconds after I die.. just, out hunting, in the forest, with my friend. Or, at least, I.. think we’re just friends.”

 

“Think?”

 

The shorter man pulled the collar of his shirt back up to hide the bites again.

 

“One reason I’ve always liked hunting alone with you is that every time, I’ve tried to convince myself that hey, maybe I should tell you everything. How amazing you are, how amazing I feel around you, how much I wish this.. whatever it could have been.. could happen. But I chicken out every time. Every damn time, I back out like a coward, afraid that you wouldn’t feel the same and that I’d fuck up the amazing bond I have with you. I’ve looked up to you for months, ever since you saved me from that walker-infested hell hole of an air force base, and to put it simply, there’s.. a lot.. I wish I could have said. To you. I’ve had.. _complicated feelings_ for you for a while, and I wish I hadn’t waited until I knew I was dying to tell you. Keeping my feelings to myself was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made.”

 

The entire confession hit Lee like a brick. Mark’s words echoed in his head as he fought back tears, trying his hardest not to cry in front of his bitten friend.

 

_Complicated feelings._

 

He knew exactly what that meant.

 

He knew exactly how that felt.

 

Mark sighed, looking down again. “I know it sounds stupid, man, but I needed to say it. You don’t need to feel the same, or anything. I just thought you should know how I think of you, since... if I didn’t say it now, I would never get the chance again.”

 

Lee felt like he’d been punched in the chest. He didn’t know how to respond. How _do_ you respond to something like this? To your close friend admitting that they’ve been in love with you since God knows how long, but at the same time, telling you that they’ve got mere hours to live?

 

How do you tell them that you love them too without breaking your own heart, knowing that they would only be hearing those words, those words that they had ached to hear for so damn long, on their deathbed?

 

Lee blinked away tears and took a deep breath before gently putting an arm around Mark, pulling his bitten friend closer. The younger man sighed, his breath hitting Lee’s neck again. This time, he let his heart stop at the buzzing feeling that shot through his nerves.

 

“Can we just.. stay here, for a while?” Mark asked quietly.

 

“Of course we can. If that’s what you want.”

 

Time seemed frozen once again, and neither man could tell how long had passed. Clouds floated by, a soft breeze rustled the greenery, and Lee forgot that walkers even existed. Not a single one in sight. Only the occasional bird or rabbit. When a black and white one hopped by, Lee pointed it out to Mark, who smiled gently.

 

“Do you.. want me to put you down, after..?” Lee whispered.

 

“No, it’s fine,” Mark replied quietly. “I’ll be okay. I’ll keep the motel safe. Just.. bring my stuff back, okay..? I want someone to be able to eat tonight. Something tells me that Kenny and Doug didn’t do too well today.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“And.. I want you to keep my handgun. Y’know, as kind of a.. memento, I guess.”

 

Lee took a breath in, trying not to let the tears show themselves. “I’ll keep it safe. I promise.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

More silence. Birds flew by, which Mark watched tiredly, and some butterflies flittered around a patch of yellow flowers.

 

When the bitten man moved his hand onto Lee’s, the other held it tight, and caught a small smile on Mark’s face.

 

* * *

 

“I.. know you don’t have much time,” Lee whispered, after what felt like years. “So I want you to know that I feel the same.” The confession was much less elaborate than he would have preferred, but it was heartfelt all the same.

 

By the time he had managed to get the words out, his friend was much weaker than he had been when they had sat down. He could barely speak. Despite this, he smiled, shifting slightly and moving his knees up to his chest, leaning on the taller man a little more and nuzzling his neck weakly. Lee felt his friend’s tears dampen his skin, trying his hardest not to cry himself.

  
Mark’s last words were scratchy, reminding Lee of exactly how much pain he was in... but he sounded so  _happy._

 

“As long as you’re alive, Lee... I’ll be a happy walker.”

 

Not long after, Lee knew the exact moment his friend was gone. Mark’s body slumped against him, and after one last breath, his chest was still.

 

Without saying a word, the living man reached into his friend’s pocket and took his pistol, tucking it safely into his own pocket. He picked up his partner’s bag and rifle, thankful that his arms had rested enough to be able to carry this much. After thinking for a moment, he gently took Mark’s glasses off of his face and folded the arms, looking once again at the cracked lenses before hooking the glasses onto his shirt. Maybe his reanimated husk would hurt less people this way.

 

The survivor stood back for a moment to take one last look at his friend. Laid out on the grass, looking sickly, but peaceful. As if he was sleeping. The taller man was thankful that Mark’s eyes had been shut when he passed — seeing his friend’s eyes with no light left behind them might have been too much to handle.

 

Lee knew that Mark would turn. That was how it always worked. And he needed to stay alive — both for Clementine, and for Mark.

 

But it hurt so much more than he expected to leave his friend’s body in the woods, laying alone in the soft grass, in the shade under the tree.

 

He stopped at the edge of the clearing when he heard movement from somewhere behind him, and breaths that sounded like they had once been human, but weren’t anymore.

 

Lee tried his best not to look at the slowly rising body and to drown out the distant, choked growls that emerged from its throat as he silently started his trek back to the motel.

 

Behind him, the newly awakened walker watched him leave, empty, blurry eyes fixated on the place where the human had just been standing. It almost seemed to remember something for a moment, but the memory was gone as quickly as it had arrived.

 

A small growl falling from its lips, the husk aimlessly wandered away into the trees.


End file.
